Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment signatories are taking accelerated action to decarbonise their portfolios and the built environment, today. Read more on their latest Advancing Net Zero developments below.
Read Kojamo plc’s Commitment profile here.
Kojamo has committed to carbon neutral energy consumption by 2030 and has taken significant strides towards achieving this goal. As a leading rental housing business in Finland, with a mission to produce higher quality living, Kojamo has taken the initiative to sign a demand response agreement with Vantaan Energia.
The agreement states that heat production and consumption in the city of Vantaa will be optimised, reducing the demand for heating and relieving pressure on the entire district’s network. Kojamo will also adopt zero emission district heating in over 50% of its Vantaa properties. This action will reduce the overall emissions of Kojamo’s property portfolio by up to 20%.
Through smart technology located in apartments, measuring air temperature and humidity, alongside weather forecast data, the system can predict property heating requirements and consumption of hot water in advance. This will relieve heating production of the entire heating network in the district.
NEO achieves seven certified green buildings across its portfolio
Read NEO’s Commitment profile here.
NEO is a prominent business in the Philippines and excels as an owner, developer, and manager of certified green and net zero office buildings. NEO recently demonstrated its steadfast commitment to achieving net zero through remarkable achievements within its portfolio.
NEO now has seven green office buildings verified under the Advancing Net Zero Energy Certification run by the Philippine Green Building Council, encompassing a substantial Gross Floor Area of 257,000 square metres. The certifications reflect the optimisation of most of the seven building’s energy consumption with up to 42% being optimised for a single building. All seven buildings are supplied with 100% renewable energy and achieved the International Finance Corporation’s EDGE Zero Carbon Certified. Several buildings in the portfolio have been awarded the Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Award in the past.
The company is committed to green and sustainable real estate with these achievements leading to the portfolio’s 100% net zero status, which was achieved in 2021— four years ahead of its original deadline in 2025.
Wereldhave maintains an impressive 5-star GRESB rating
Read Wereldhave Commitment profile here.
Wereldhave is dedicated to investing in a brighter future and is achieving this through its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) programme ‘A Better Tomorrow’. One of the programme’s key areas is focused on reducing its footprint and it has received multiple awards, which include:
Earned the esteemed Gold Award from the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA sBPR) in its annual Sustainability Best Practices Recommendations, which highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and best-in-class practices Wereldhave’s ESG programme provides a roadmap until 2030 and aligns with ESG benchmarks such as GRESB and BREEAM. It is based on becoming Paris Proof by 2040 (Dutch Green Building Council approved) and reducing carbon emissions by 30% for all m² under the company’s operational control (SBTi approved).
City of Toronto issues a sixth green bond for climate projects
Read the City of Toronto’s Commitment profile here.
The City of Toronto has adopted one of the most ambitious targets in North America to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Ten years earlier than originally planned. Toronto has issued its sixth green bond of $100m to support the financing of transformational climate action projects.
This is a reopening of the green bond originally issued in November 2022, with the total amounting to $400 million. Toronto’s green bond programme is one of a multitude of initiatives led by the city as part of its TransformTO Net Zero Strategy. The proceeds are used in financing or refinancing capital and climate change focused projects.
Previous green bonds issued by the city have made energy efficiency retrofits as one area of focus. It also includes social housing revitalisation and retrofit and community energy efficiency projects.
Annual Impact Report on global ESG vision and strategy released by Avison Young
Read Avison Young’s Commitment profile here.
Avison Young has released its Impact Report which delves into the business’s climate action and net zero progress, community impact, and diversity, equity and inclusion. The company’s global goal is to drive scope 1 and scope 2 emissions down to net zero by 2040 and a further 50% by 2030.
The Impact Report highlights the introduction of a sustainability data platform in North America that is designed to improve data collection, quality and reporting. In the near term, it outlines how Avison Young will onboard a new travel system enabling the tracking of scope 3 emissions globally, improving energy efficiency and introducing green clauses to better data sharing from landlords.
The report also demonstrated that in the UK, Avison Young has managed to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 24% (2019 baseline) and received a Carbon Literate Organisation Award. The business now has 70% of its sites on a 100% renewable energy tariff.
City of Vancouver announces Canada’s first zero-carbon firehall
Read the City of Vancouver’s Commitment profile here.
Canada’s first zero carbon firehall has been completed, which demonstrates the sustainable way forward for future new build firehalls. The structure was built to a zero emissions standard and has achieved LEED Gold certification and Net Zero Energy as determined by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Design strategies for its net zero status include an airtight envelope, electric heat pumps and efficient air, heat and water recovery systems. Vancouver’s Firehall 17 is also making strong progress towards Passive House Certification.
“The new Firehall 17 is a leading example of the City of Vancouver’s innovative approach to meeting climate commitments.Firehall 17 is a demonstration we can make near zero emissions buildings the new normal, while also helping to reduce energy and water consumption costs” —Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver
